releasing a brown trout into the green river wyoming

August 1 Fishing

A nice rainbow caught on the Green.

Wow, it’s August! We have finally hit flows that are consistent with the historical average on the Snake and the fishing is coming into shape.  We are seeing risers on chubby chernobyls and other foam, think circus peanuts and water walkers.  Starting the day on nymphs (rubber legs, pheasant tails) or with a hopper-dropper is a great way to get hits as the morning warms up.

The Green has seen a lot of traffic this summer, and the fish are getting wise.  On the upper stretches fish are coming up to ants, beetles, and small pmds.  There are big fish to be had, it is just taking a little more time and patience.

Fish creek is a beautiful wade option.  We have been seeing grey drakes, small yellow stones, caddis flies.  There are big cutties in the spring creeks and will come up to well presented flies.

Fly Fishing on Fish Creek

The Snake, the Green, and Spring Creeks

A nice Snake river cutthroat.

 

The Snake River:

We are getting closer to normal summer levels on the Snake every day.  Clarity has improved and we are right around the corner from some great fishing.  Your best bet is fishing the soft water – riffles, trenches, slow eddies and banks.  That said, we are starting to see the occasional hit in quick riffles, especially on an attractor pattern.  Nymphing with rubber legs and mayfly nymphs has been productive.  A hopper-dropper is also a good bet, with fish coming up to circus peanuts, water walkers, chubbies…foam!

 

 

 

 

Grey drake sipper on the Green river.

 

 

The Green:

The Green is dropping and clearing.  In general it is fishing best in the first half of the day, and cloud cover will often help with the dry fly bite.  Drakes and chubbies are catching fish.  A nymph rig or streamer stripped along the bank are also productive if the trout aren’t rising.

 

 

 

 

Hooked up on Fish Creek.

 

 

Spring Creeks:

Lake creek and Fish creek are still fishing well.  The bigger trout are getting a little pickier but are definitely still eating well presented flies.  We are seeing a variety of bugs hatching on the creek, with PMDs and small caddis bringing fish to the surface.  The trout are starting to key into foam, so hopper-dropper rigs are another great option.

 

Brown Trout caught on Green River

Mid-July Fishing

Sunny, beautiful day on the Green.

The grey drake hatch is still going full force on the Upper Green.  Days are warming up quickly so head to the river early to catch the hatch.  There are also some fish eating golden stones more consistently (foam!) and a variety of other dries, think caddis, yellow sallies, and pmds.   A dry with a worm dropper combo is also a good bet.  The Green bumped up a bit last week, so focus on slower water.

The Snake is still high, with water levels about twice the normal flow for this time of year.  That said, the water is starting to green up and it seems like good fishing is right around the corner.  If you can’t wait for things to clear up and have to hit the Snake now, don’t do it without a pocket full of Pat’s rubber legs and some pink worms.

Brown on the Green.

 

 

Trout caught while fly fishing

The Green is fishing…well.

Brown trout caught on the Green.

Another nice brown from the Green river.

 

The Green is in!  We have had some great days on the Green river as it drops and clears.  There have been HUGE drake hatches and some of the fish are looking up to dries.  Drakes and stone flies have attracted the most interest, with the promise of more stones on the way as both golden stones and yellow sallies have been hatching with increased frequency.  The nymph fishing has been consistent and productive.  Like the dries, a stone or mayfly nymph is a good bet, and the trusty worm in pink and red will produce fish.  If the clouds roll in and you get an overcast day, dark streamers will move some big browns.  Fish creek is still fishing well and a great wade option close to Jackson!

It’s good to have lots of option when the bugs are hatching.

Fly Fishing Guide Grant Leffel

Damn, that’s high water!

Emery Rheam with a beautiful cutty on Fish Creek.

The Tetons continue to shed their massive snowpack and the rivers are still raging.  These conditions will do a load of good for the fishery going forward.  The rivers will, most likely, stay cooler longer (happy trout!) and late summer and fall fishing will be great.  The high water also flushes sediment out of gravel beds, making ideal spawning habitat and healthier future fish populations…yay high water!

Fortunately, if you have the itch to fish we are still having a lot of success on Cottonwood Lake and the Spring Creeks on Snake River Ranch.  A variety of tactics are pulling a variety of trout, and there is a good chance that the warming weather will bring out dry flies.  Come enjoy the beautiful summer weather with us, let’s catch fish!

 

 

Impromptu rowing lesson on Cottonwood Lake. You can’t beat the views!

Drift boat fishing on a lake in the Tetons.

Cottonwood Lake Fishing

Fishing client holding brook trout.

A beautiful brook trout on Cottonwood Lake

Fishing guide and client holding lake trout.

A huge lake trout caught on Cottonwood Lake.

The snow is coming down from the mountains and our regional waterways are seeing some of the highest water levels in years.  It’s a great time to fish a lake or spring creek while the rivers get their annual refresh.  Cottonwood Lake has been fishing really well, with cutthroat, lake, and brook trout eating streamers, dries and nymphs.  Chironomids, leeches, damselflies, and callibaetis are all getting fish to the boat. The water on the lake is clear and the views can’t be beat!

Guided lake fishing from a drift boat in the Tetons.

Cottonwood Lake fishing.

Fly fishing guide holding cutthroat trout in Jackson, Wyoming.

Hot Fishing on the Spring Creeks

 

Fly fishing guide holding cutthroat trout in Jackson, Wyoming.

A beautiful cutthroat trout caught on Fish Creek.

High water has hit the Rockies and the big rivers are running fast. While the fishing is on hold across most of the area, the spring creeks are still great options to get on some beautiful trout.  Fish Creek and Lake Creek on Snake River Ranch are waters that GFA fishes exclusively, and they have been fishing well!

We have been seeing a variety of mayflies and caddis hatching during the day.  A BWO or parachute adams pattern will bring big fish to the surface. When the fish aren’t eating on top, a dry-dropper rig with a pheasant tail or hare’s ear are great options.  There are a limited number of fishermen allowed on these creeks per day, so you are guaranteed to have the place to yourself. This is the best fishing in the valley right now, check out our private water page for more information.

A fly fishing guide casts to trout on Fish Creek, Wyoming.

Sneaking up on big trout.

Fly Fishing Guide John Carpenter

Sunny days and skwala hatches on the Snake.

After a long and snowy winter, it is Spring in the Tetons! Sunny days have brought out dry flies, with skwala at the top of the menu. Starting the morning out with a dry-dropper rig will get you on fish before the big bugs hit the water. Fish are eating on top as the day warms up, so throw on a brown, black, or purple chubby for afternoon fishing.

Warm weather bringing out the skwala dries.

Warm weather bringing out the skwala dries.

Streamers have been moving fish throughout the day, with the best eats on brown/olive/tan sculpin patterns. The river is moving well and the water temps are still pretty cool, so look to the slow and soft riffles to hold fish. Water clarity has been good, but we could see some changes as the week continues to warm and some of our record-breaking snowpack hits the Snake River drainage. Get out soon and enjoy the fishing!

August Fishing Updates

It is the peak of the summer season here in Jackson, and cooler temperatures have elevated the local fishing. While the night temperatures have significantly cooled, our days on the rivers have consisted of blue skies and fresh mountain air. In the morning, general mayfly imitations have been working well including patterns like Parachute Adams and Film Critics. As the temperatures rise, you’ll find terrestrials on the banks. Local ranchers have recently cut the hay and stopped irrigating the fields, which forces the terrestrials such as hoppers to the banks of the river. Patterns such as the Morrish Hopper and Galloup’s Ant Acid are producing at high rates. Stop by our fly shop in Teton Village to look over our assortment of fly fishing gear and reserve your trip with GFA guides today. Check out our guide in training, Ethan, on a fun day out fishing hoppers!

Ethan fishing

Spring Creek Fishing in August

Here at Grand Fishing Adventures, we offer both float and wade fishing trips. While there is no better place to be than floating the Snake River in August, the fishing on our private spring creeks has been phenomenal as well. GFA has exclusive access to private water at the base of the Tetons. Small dry flies such as parachute mahoganies were working well in the morning, and grasshoppers produced some great action in the afternoon. Bill (pictured below) proves it!

Fish Creek Fatty